Susan & Howard’s 3-Day Elopement Hike Exploring Seceda

Susan and Howard’s elopement in the Dolomites is one for the books! These two explore one of Italy’s most stunning, yet busiest locations—Seceda. They hiked up in the dark to catch the sunrise and enjoyed the breathtaking views without the usual crowds. Instead of celebrating their wedding day for only 1 day, they decided to plan a 3-day hiking elopement, giving them a uniquely intimate experience to remember. Get all the details below.

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About This Elopement

Photography by Wild Connections Photography

“Seceda is one of the most famous locations in the Dolomites. And that makes it one of the busiest too. One of the best ways to enjoy the views here without the crowds is to hike up in the dark and enjoy the sunrise.

Valuing slow and sustainable travel, that’s what Susan and Howard chose to do. They planned a 3-day hiking elopement in the Dolomites, around the Val Gardena area.

At 4 am, they started their hike in the dark, as the mountains slowly started to illuminate from the glow of the sunrise. Once at the top, they changed into their wedding clothes as the sun rose behind the famous Seceda peaks.

Having beaten the crowds, they let me guide them on some of the most scenic trails on the Seceda side of Val Gardena, stopping for lunch at a mountain hut, before returning to the valley.

The following day, they asked me to take them on a more challenging guided hike. I took them on a stunning hike on the opposite side of the valley so that they could see their elopement location from a new perspective.” [Cat, the photographer]

Learn more about eloping in the Dolomites.

Planning & Top Tips For Your Seceda Elopement

“Seceda is one of the top hotspots of the Dolomites, and because of that it’s not only crowded, but the location is changing each year due to the increased foot traffic. Many of the images you see online for this location no longer represent the reality, with almost all of the viewpoints now fenced off to restrict access.

Where there was once just a thin wire fence on the edges to stop people from falling over, there are now big wooden fences all the way along and ropes on either side of the trail to stop people from stepping off it. At the moment there is just one area where there isn’t a fence, but I anticipate the whole ridgeline will be closed off in the not-too-distant future as you can see a lot of ground erosion.

You don’t need permits on Seceda, but LNT is really important. It’s also really important not just to protect nature here, but also to respect the local community, as many local farmers graze their animals and harvest the grass on these slopes.” [Cat, the photographer]

Cat shares the top LNT rules to remember in the area: 

• Stay on the trail.
• Don’t walk through the long grass and wildflower meadows – this is the farmer’s harvest for winter.
• Don’t step under/over fences.
• Check cable-car running times and don’t miss the last lift (if you don’t want a 3-hour hike back down).
• Keep away from the edges.
• Don’t pick any wildflowers – some are protected, some are toxic.
• Keep your distance from grazing animals. If they approach you or block the trail keep walking calmly. Don’t touch them or feed them.

Learn more about leaving no trace during your adventure.

Top Tips For Your Elopement

“Seceda is easily accessible with a cable car, which runs from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm. If you want to experience the location without too many other people around, it’s best to take the first lift up. Alternatively, you can stay in a mountain hut up here, and hike up to Seceda for sunrise. The hike takes around 1.5 hours. It’s fairly steep uphill the whole way, but not a difficult trail. Another option is to fly here with the helicopter either at sunrise or sunset once the lifts have stopped running (but that’s not a particularly sustainable option).

Bring layers – It can be really hot up here, but it can also get pretty cold and windy. Also, check the forecast for storms.

Stay for at least 3-4 days in the area. There’s so much to see and do here, that you could spend weeks just in this small area and still not have seen everything. Staying longer is also a more sustainable choice. It allows you to travel more slowly and experience the way of life here in the Dolomites. It also means that you’ll have some flexibility as mountain weather in the summer can be somewhat unpredictable.

There are so many incredible vendors that are local to the Dolomites, so you shouldn’t need to fly anyone in for your elopement here.

Tourism in the Dolomites is starting to reach unsustainable levels, and local communities are beginning to speak out about the problems. Not only does working with a local team ensure that the money you are spending stays in the local economy, but it also means you’ll be working with a team of people who are proud of where they live and want to show you the best places (and how to protect them).” [Cat, the photographer]

Team up with local vendors. Search vendors in your preferred elopement locations here.

About The Couple

“I loved working with Susan and Howard so much. Where many people want to see as much as possible in one day, they want to embrace a slow and mindful approach to their elopement.

They didn’t just want epic photos, but they also loved slowing down and identifying wildflowers. I think we spotted more wild Edelweiss together on this hike than any other hike I’ve been on before. For their second day, they wanted to experience some contrasting scenery to the day before. I love that they fully put their trust in me to take them on a guided hike that would challenge them a little more (I’m also a certified hiking guide) and they absolutely loved it.” [Cat, the photographer]

Memorable Moments During This Elopement

From the photographer:

“Nothing beats a mountain sunrise in my opinion, so helping them to have their elopement as the sun was rising in this beautiful spot was incredible. But more than anything, I just love how connected and interested they were in the nature, culture, and history of the area. They didn’t just come to the Dolomites for amazing photos, they wanted to fully immerse themselves in the experience.”

Photos From This Elopement